Last updated: September 15, 2025 | Inspired by nownownow.com

I’m Ramon Stoppelenburg, a Dutch writer, translator, and digital pioneer currently based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This page gives you a snapshot of what I’m focused on right now.

🇳🇱 Dutch version

🎬 Just Watched

Movie: Nobody 2. How to waste your time.

Series: The Twisted Tales of Amanda Knox. Fascinating!

Okay, and Dexter: Resurrection.

📍 Where Am I Now?

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – my creative and spiritual home base since 2010.

💼 What I’m Working On

Writing & Journalism

  • Essays & columns for leading Dutch newspapers de Volkskrant and NRC
  • Writing in progress:
    Het Laatste Hostel (The Last Hostel) – exploring digital identity, performative freedom, and the search for authenticity in an always-on world in Dutch;
    Always Almost There: A Memoir – a brutally honest and darkly funny English memoir about chasing geographical solutions to existential problems, only to discover that everyone else is running toward their own version of “elsewhere.” Based on my time in Tbilisi and Casablanca in 2023.
  • Non-fiction guide in progress: Eat Out, Lose Fat – my book about building a healthier relationship with food without sacrificing the joy of dining out

Translation & Language Services

Current clients:

Available for freelance projects on Upwork

Business Consulting

I help SME entrepreneurs in Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Portugal optimize their operations – from hotel management to restaurant efficiency and memorable events. Smart strategies that don’t break the bank.

🐱 Meet My Cats

Fifty Shady (2014) and Chickpea (2024) keep me company. Here’s Shady:

🚀 Current Projects

Creative Works

  1. 📚 Eat Out, Lose Fat – Final drafting phase of this English book about building a healthier relationship with dining out without sacrificing joy;
  2. 📖 Het Laatste Hostel – Dutch novel about digital identity and what remains when you go offline;
  3. 📖 Always Almost There: A Memoir – A brutally honest and darkly funny memoir about a former successful expat who keeps chasing geographical solutions to existential problems, only to discover that everyone else—from Moroccan locals to American compound dwellers—is running toward their own version of “elsewhere.” These memoirs are based on my time in Tbilisi and Casablanca in 2023;
  4. 🎬 Flagged – Six-part limited crime thriller series (Thailand/Australia setting) in development;
  5. 📰 The Quiet Reader – Literary magazine I founded in 2020, relaunched with fresh vision

Business Ventures

  1. ⛰️ Expedition Kilimanjaro – Tour company I’ve directed since 2008 (16+ years of getting people up that mountain!)
  2. 🎭 Switching the Flicks – Quietly seeking location for new movie house in Phnom Penh (successor to The Flicks)
  3. 🎬 Movie Recommendations – Curating quality films for cinema lovers

📚 Currently Reading

My Goodreads tracks my recent Kindle adventures.

🌴 On My Bucket List

Palawan, Philippines – Craving the blue waters, lagoons, and beaches of El Nido and the Calamian Islands for some fresh travel inspiration on my walls.

🌐 Find Me Online

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